Friday, February 14, 2014

Happy Valentine's Day! I'm managing to sneak in here to post a little 'dillo love for the occasion (and as a promo piece for my new portfolio site, aliciapolicia.com).

I know. Now's a random time to show up again. I missed so many other holidays! Where have I been? What have I been up to? Well, the last few months I've been very busy (preparing for and) working on this cuteness:

As for now, we're trying to find our groove and (slowly but surely) get back into the swing of things. I'm loving every minute, though. So cute!

Friday, September 27, 2013

Wishful thinking. It works, right? If so, I wish the days of highs in the 90s would cease already and let's bring on the fall. I am ready.

So, you know. That's what this piece was about. Wishful thinking.

I have a feeling that sometime, sometime, summer will end. I dunno. Let's call it a hunch (a hunch that we'll call science).

In other news, I'm trying to get back into the blogosphere after an unexpected hiatus. Hurrah! Also, I'm working on trying to get this blog and all my art stuff resituated over at my new site, www.aliciapolicia.com .

Oh! And I'll be blogging over at the oh-so-wonderful Girllustrators site from time to time now, too. And if you haven't checked out their blog yet, you should. These are some marvelous and talented ladies, and I am fortunate to keep their company.

In summary, my wishful thoughts: cooler weather, new artwork, back to blogging, and just to make it officially all caps and underlined, PRODUCTIVITY.

Monday, July 1, 2013

It's been a few years since I first saw the kits for these super cute Japanese stuffed felt wind up toys online. I have always loved them, but have always passed them by because I'm not much of a kit crafter. Or at least I haven't been in a very, very, very long time.

Anyway, typically I like to collect my crafting components independently as opposed to having them ready for me, and often prefer to just figure it out myself instead of following detailed instructions. I know. I'm a rebel (not really - I'm a strict adherer to Ikea instructions, just not crafty instructions).

However, when I was making a recent fabric purchase from The Cloth Parcel and saw that they happened to have several of the kits in stock, I decided to splurge and treat myself to some felted cuteness.

What does the non-kit-crafter have to say about her latest kit crafting? It was fun! I really enjoyed the process and I super enjoy my felt wind up Red Riding Hood. I especially love her little bottle of wine and wheel of cheese in her basket. Grandma is a foodie.

The only problem is now I have Little Red Riding Hood on the brain, and it makes me wanna draw some fables and fairy tales. I reckon that's not really a problem though, is it?

Friday, May 24, 2013

I had a whole day's worth of outdoor tasks and chores ready for today.

I was in the midst of them when I heard thunder, which prompted me to check out the weather forecast. You know, the weather forecast I checked a million times before setting out to do all of my outdoor chores. There it was: a big ol' rainstorm on the way.

I'm not going to complain. We need the rain here in Texas. Desperately. And it saves me from having to water the garden. So, yay!

I decided to use some indoor down time to play around, art-wise. This li'l lady and her flower-brella is what came out. What can I say? I had rain on the brain.

I reckon I was inspired in part by my first meeting with the Girllustrators on Monday...

The Girllustrators are a wonderful, warm, welcoming and especially talented group of lady illustrators and SCBWI members based here in Austin, and I am so excited to have been invited to join them!

Anyway, I had made a passing comment during our get together about how I prefer doodling with a pencil over doodling with a pen. That's when Shelley Ann Jackson said,"You should try drawing in ink. Sometimes ink is more freeing, because you can't erase it."

Thus, when the rain thwarted my outdoor plans, I set out on my doodle exercise for today. Drawing in ink. No sketches. No do-overs. Just let it roll and see what happens. Let myself be rough and scratchy and happy accident-full.

I like it, and it turns out it was freeing.

That said - Thanks, Professor Shelley!

P.S. I need to figure out a better way to hold my pen when drawing with ink. Or maybe I need a new pen.Yucko.

Saturday, May 4, 2013

I always tell myself I'll remember to make a special Star Wars post for May the Fourth. You know, because I love Star Wars, and it's kinda become requisite for Star Wars fans to do so.

And I always, without fail, end up forgetting to get one up in a timely manner. That's just how I work.

The Leia of Guadalupe sketches started out as an idea for Star Wars Day (May the Fourth), but I ended up posting it years after I originally thought of it and sketched it out. Procrastination, thy name is Alicia.

But this year, I did it! Hurrah!

I present to you my own version of Boushh Leia. Leia disguised as the bounty hunter, Boushh, was my favorite Leia version when growing up. I used to pretend I was Leia rescuing Han from his carbonite prison, guiding him through Jabba's palace to safety because he was all blind and helpless. Everyone was threatened by my thermal detonator. It was pretty awesome.

And my Boushh Leia figure was my favorite. First off, it was mine! Not my brothers'!* Secondly: she had a helmet. And action figures with removable helmets were the best.

So here's to Star Wars! Here's to Leia! And here's to the many merry memories this fairy tale space saga has given all of us! May the force be with you.

* I was born in 1980, so although there was Star Wars stuff present throughout my life, none of it got to be officially mine until Jedi. Before then I was stuck with playing with the toys of my older brothers.Pin It

• And last but certainly not least, I won first place in the illustrator portfolio showcase! Hooray!

I was so shocked and surprised when my name was announced that I actually did the double hands-to-my-face-in-surprise move that everyone uses whilst mocking beauty pageant contestants. It was a totally involuntary reflex, I promise.

All this has added up to lighting a big ol' inspiring fire under my illustratin' behind. Way to inspire, y'all!

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

You know how some artists and illustrators draw cartoony versions of themselves all the time, every livelong day, and it's as effortless as breathing to them because that's just how often they're going around drawing themselves?

Yeah, well, I am not one of those artists. I find it far easier and more entertaining to go about drawing cartoony versions of everyone else in the world.

But this time, I think I finally worked up a self portrait that I actually like!

And of course, the cat made it in there, because at this point, drawing her is as effortless as breathing. Pin It

Saturday, April 6, 2013

Just a quickie post to root for my alma mater, Syracuse University, in their quest for basketball domination.

On a whim, whilst watching the last few minutes of the Louisville V. Wichita State, I decided to make a little felt and clementine Otto the Orange (and then I ran outside to quickly photograph it before the sun was completely down).

Can your team's mascot be easily (and cutely) made from fruit? Probably not.